Government Closely Monitoring Soybean and Groundnut Sowing

10-Jul-2026 08:28 PM

New Delhi. The Union Ministry of Agriculture is focusing specifically on the sowing of soybean and groundnut, the two major oilseed crops of the Kharif season. The ideal window for sowing these crops is rapidly closing, yet the pace of planting has not picked up as expected.

In fact, the monsoon either arrived late or remained quite weak during the initial phase in the top three groundnut-producing states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. Intense heatwaves in June led to a severe lack of soil moisture, compounded by the absence of widespread irrigation facilities. Despite this, farmers in Rajasthan showed great enthusiasm and increased the area under groundnut cultivation.

The pace of groundnut sowing remained relatively slow in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana. Meanwhile, farmers in Rajasthan showed less interest in soybean cultivation. While sowing is expected to proceed normally in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the acreage in Rajasthan may lag behind.

There is also little expectation of an increase in soybean acreage in Gujarat. However, farmers in Andhra Pradesh continue to show interest in cultivating the crop. Soybean sowing can easily be carried out until July 20, whereas groundnut planting can continue until the end of July.